Presto: Your Own Collection

Collecting magic memorabilia is a complicated business. Not only are there many different collectibles subsets--from magician’s throw cards to large scale illusions--but the prices can be affected by movies and books. Witness the recent price surge in Carter the Great memorabilia, thanks to the best-selling book Carter Beats the Devil.

Prices generally have been rising, as younger collectors enter the market. "When I first started, almost all of my collectors were above 50 years old," says Theodore Bogusta, owner of Martinka & Co., a magic shop and museum based in Midland Park, N.J. "Now [David] Copperfield, Criss Angel, David Blaine and Harry Potter are giving magic an essence of cool, and younger people are collecting."

Posters, pre-19th-century books and ephemera from notable magicians such as Thurston, Okito and Dai Vernon have long been good investments. But Houdini remains the gold standard. "Houdini is a crossover between magic and history," says Nicholas Lowry, president of New York’s Swann Galleries. "His stock will never drop." There is a downside, however, he says. "There are a lot of forgeries."

To appreciate the wide variety of collectible material, visit the online catalog of the Conjuring Arts Research Center. The publicly accessible center itself is located in New York City.

Here are a few places to buy historic magic memorabilia:

Martinka & Co.--Started in 1877 and once owned by Houdini, this New Jersey magic store is the oldest in America and holds four Internet auctions a year that specialize in historical props and documents. The next auction is in June.

Galerie de Chartres--Paris’ leading seller of antique automata includes pieces by Houdini’s namesake, Jean Eugene Robert-Houdini, considered the father of modern magic. It also sells magic engravings, ephemera, and paintings. The next magic auction is scheduled for October.

Finally, there’s the Fantasy, Mythical & Magic category on
eBay
, which usually has several thousand items on the block, including purported Houdini memorabilia.